Tuesday February 26
Snow continued overnight and I awoke to:
I tried to dog sled but the snow was just too heavy and deep. The runners broke through a couple of feet and the dogs had to break trail. The road was too deeply rutted to keep the sled upright.
"You really want us to pull you?"
A little post spill snow on the lens.
Priorities. The generator powered the refrigerator, freezer and USB docking station. I still didn't have landline, cell or internet but I made sure everything was charged just in case. The nifty, super bright lanterns are also charged with a USB connection. Baby wipes and water jugs completed my recharge hub.
It was still snowing Wednesday the 27th.
After an early morning run, the dogs crashed while Jake focused on all the fat birds right outside the window.
The snow is now above the window sill.
I have gone through two bird feeders filled with seed every day. The birds are so fluffed up, wrens, chickadees, and sparrows all look alike. Only jays, juncos, nuthatches and towhees are distinctive enough to readily identify.
Morning view out the back door. The roof snow curl and ground snow almost meet. Chore for the day was to dig a path from this door to behind the distant building where the wood pile is. The shovel is actually sitting on the porch, three steps up from the patio. That is a lot of snow. My snow stake was buried in there somewhere.
I sent out an SOS. It was still snowing. Not only did I need to get to the wood pile and clear the kennel roof but, two huge trees
had fallen across the road overnight. My lungs were filling and I had a serious lack of energy.
I had completed the kennel roof snow removal and was digging the path to the wood pile when JJ, my nephew, just happened to hike in with his family. He immediately went to work removing the trees. Unfortunately he broke some bones in
his hand when a log came down. on it.
By this time the road was a rutted mess. I had been going in and out with the Kubota and tractor.
While JJ and his daughter Sarah worked on tree removal, My niece
-in-law Nami and son Andy helped
me finish the path to the wood pile.
Andy supervised by Trask.
Nami, who had never shoveled snow before, was a champ.
Found the snow stake.
The completed path.
"Snow Dog" Trask preferred the cleared path.
JJ's truck had slipped off the road on their way in. Big Red was sent to the rescue...
but became hopelessly mired at the base of the icy hill.
Shoveling done and the kids decided to try to sled. After all that was why they came here in the first place. Both are champion athletes but found floundering in the heavy snow a frustrating work-out. Especially when the snow wouldn't support their weight on the sled and they just sunk instead of sliding.
Answering my SOS, the Lind family came skiing in, They had brought avalanche rescue beacons and probes to practice with. John headed out the road with JJ to dig out both JJ's truck and Big Red while Kerstin buried a beacon and the kids took turns trying to find it.
About the time the rest of us had filled the greatroom with dripping clothing and were finishing our cocoa, JJ and John hiked back with a report on their efforts. They did get JJ's truck out. Big Red is in a new location at the top of the icy hill and is off the side of the road - where it still sits.
By then the day was getting late. Everyone was pretty exhausted. Hats, coats, and mittens were gathered up and their 1/2 hike/ski back out commenced
.
Peaceful solitude once again enveloped BrownStone.
